Backseat of a Greyhound Bus
by suki1916
Summary: AU. Naley one shot. Based on the song by Sara Evans


Backseat of a Greyhound Bus

_She wore a dress with cherries on it _

_Going somewhere where she'd be wanted _

_A town this small, all they do is talk _

_No wedding ring, chipped fingernail polish _

_She always wished that she could go to college _

_But some dreams fade, they just slip away_

She sighed as rested her tired brown head on the welcoming seat. She looked out the window watching as the rest of the passengers kissed their loved ones goodbye and said their farewells. She watched as the people filed in, taking their seats here and there. She traced her finger around the window, drawing different shapes on the dusty surface. The most prominent and most special, taking center stage, a heart.

Just as the driver started the bus and shut the doors and she settled into the tattered book in her hands, her head jerked up with the pounding on the door. The driver looked more than annoyed but opened the door reluctantly as a very winded and very handsome boy hopped up the stairs. He muttered his apologies and with his one small bag, waltzed to the back of the bus. She rested her hand over her belly protectively as he took the seat across the aisle from her.

_She started to show a few months ago and she had to go, that's how she wound up_

She briefly glanced at the dark haired boy next to her with piercing blue eyes and went back to the book in her grasp. As the distance grew, so did her boredom with the book she had read so many times. She closed her eyes and softly started humming, ever so gently rubbing her stomach. No matter what everyone else thought, this was her mistake and the love she felt right now was enough to not make it regret it. Not for a second.

"Excuse me miss." the boy next to her was now tapping her on her shoulder.

"Yes?" she asked quietly, almost shyly.

"Do you mind if I read that book?" he said pointing to the book lying in the seat next to her.

"It's not a book. It's just a bunch of songs I wrote." she replied.

"Oh. Well can I read them?" he amended. She shrugged and then nodded and he gave her a genuine smile before picking up the book and leafing though the pages.

She hadn't imagined her life being this way. Not even close. It's true about what they say about it only taking once. She was living proof of that supposed 'tall tale.' And when her mother told her only two days ago that she was going away she didn't argue. It wasn't going to do any good and she grew tired fairly quickly of the hushed talked and stolen stares. No she wasn't married, and yes, she was having a child. Well this is what you get for living in a small town in North Carolina.

"These are really good." her eyes popped open and she tilted her head in the direction of the boy next to her. He couldn't have been much older than her. She looked at him good this time, taking in his rough features. And although his face was worn and mature, his eyes told a different tale. A youthful soul. His smile was always genuine and his cobalt eyes always twinkled when he did.

"They're okay." she conceded.

"Nah, they're better than okay. I'm Nathan by the way." he said extending his hand across the aisle which she hesitantly accepted.

"Haley." was all she offered.

_On the backseat of a greyhound bus _

_Head on down with the windows up _

_Staring at the rest of her life _

_She never thought this would be the place _

_Where she would find her saving grace _

_But she fell in love, she fell in love _

_On the backseat of a greyhound bus _

_Oh yeah...yeah_

"So where you heading to?" he asked.

"Far, far away." she said wistfully. He nodded and gave her a small smile, like he knew exactly what she was talking about. In all actuality, he probably did. "What about you?"

"Same. Maybe I little bit further." he winked and she giggled. The last time she giggled was when the life inside of her kicked for the first time. It had slightly tickled her and she couldn't remember feeling more joyful then right then. "So uh, when ya due?" he asked looking down at her protruding tummy. Ah ha, there was the dreaded question no one dared to ask.

"Any day now." she smiled, patting her rounding body. She wondered if she projected the proud she felt when she thought about the life living within her. She may not have been proud of when she was having it or how it came about but this was something she knew she couldn't mess up. This was all her.

"Well congratulations." he responded and for a second she was taken aback. Not one person, not a single soul had uttered those words. Even if they had, she doubt that they would have offered the with as much sincerity has he had just now. "I'm sure you're more than thrilled."

"I'm ecstatic." she replied. "I can hardly contain the waiting anymore." she confessed, laughing a bit.

He smiled at her yet again, probably for the fifth, no wait, sixth time since he had stepped on that bus. She followed the setting sun in the horizon as it dipped below the hills. He returned to the book, intently focusing on each word as if he were actually memorizing the words that were inked on the page. Soon, it was nightfall and she found herself not even close to sleeping. While the rest of the world and the traveling bus was in their slumber she watched the twinkling stars. Well, most of the bus.

"Can't sleep?" the boy asked from his seat. She looked at him and shook her head. He got up and was sitting next to her in a matter of moments. "Tell me about yourself."

"I'm an unwed, pregnant, teenager." she said tiredly, a hint of amusement in her voice. "What else is there that you need to know?"

"Lots." he smirked. "That's not who you are. That's what you are. What ticks you off, makes you happy? What do you do for fun? What's your favorite pair of pajamas? Who do you admire the most?"

"Okay, okay I get it." she laughed. "Let's see…I hate judgmental people. Staring ticks me off more than anything, especially when it comes to my stomach or my finger. This," she said rubbing her belly, "this makes me happy. For fun, I like to sing or write songs. Occasionally I'll play the piano or guitar. Oh, playing in the rain, that's the best. My favorite pair of pajamas has little yellow duckies covering it. The pants are little bit high-waterish because I wash them so much but it doesn't really bother me."

"And who do you admire the most?" he wondered and she pondered for a second before answering with what she thought was the most correct answer.

"Myself. I admire myself the most. You kinda have to when yourself is all you've got."

"That good because I'll tell you a little secret," he said leaning over and whispering into her ear. "I admire you too." he said and they pulled back from each other smiling. Seven.

"Well what about you? Now that you practically know everything about me, it's your turn."

"Hmm…well my father ticks me off the most. He's a bastard if there ever was one. A wretched old man, he is. Basketball makes me happy. It's my music. I like to read though to, expand my mind, you know. "he smiled. Eight, count 'em, eight. "For fun, I travel. Yup, I live in a suitcase, experiencing life from a different view everyday. When I was still an actual kid my favorite thing to do was have water balloon fights."

"Oh! Did you put milk in them?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course we did! What kind of water balloon fight doesn't include milk? Don't wear pajamas now but when I did, they had cowboy's hats and boots plastered all over them. Even had the actual cowboy hat and boots to match. Best gunslinger out there; I would've had Jesse James shaking in his boots." he joked, laughing. "And well, besides you, I admire my half brother. He put up with a lot of crap with our father but he was a better man because of it."

"That's really…oww." she said clutching his hand. He looked at her completely concerned as she held her stomach, the pain rushing through her. "I think it's coming."

_The moon was full, stars were smiling _

_God has a funny sense of timing_

The bus was pulled over, and cleared out leaving only the two strangers. He climbed behind her, letting her rest her head on his chest as he held her hand, breathing in and out with her. He wiped the stray bands of her silky hair from her forehead as she began to really feel the pain. The past nine months she had heard nothing but how it was going to be a long and brutal labor. This was definitely brutal but entirely too fast. This wasn't supposed to happen this way. Not like this on the back of a Greyhound bus.

"Shh, it'll be okay." he soothed, whispering in her ear. Somehow, she believed him, nodding, as she let the tears cascade down her cheeks. She closed her eyes as another contraction ceased and listened to his heart beat. "Listen, they're almost here." he told her as she strained her ears to hear the approaching ambulance.

"I'm terrified." she cried. He kissed her forehead for some reason unknown to her, but grateful all the same. She opened her eyes, the dancing red and blue lights flashing before her eyes. She looked up at the stranger behind her, searching for some kind of comfort.

"I've got you." he told her, staring right into her eyes, her soul and she knew he meant every word.

They told him to leave, that they had it under control, but she held on tight, refusing to let him go. Right now, she was all she had and all she trusted and he was not leaving her. And as the contractions came closer and closer together she realized that this was it. This one moment was going to forever change her life. And with the last final pushes she finally released the best mistake of her life.

_The baby came on the interstate _

_Somewhere between Jackson and Memphis s_

_He finally found what she had been missin' _

_She cried and laughed while the red lights flashed_

He was still behind her, still stroking her hair, his heart beating rapidly. She chuckled through her tears; he seemed more nervous than she was. After wiping the tiny infant off as much as they could they bundled the small miracle in a spare blanket and placed it in her arms. It was as she traced the baby's face that she saw his hand come up, not touching the child, but close, completely in awe.

_Sweet baby girl _

_She looked into the face of a new, _

_The face of a brand new world_

And here she was, a child herself, producing life to one her own. She realized with a start that from this moment on, this tiny little person depended solely on her. They left the two strangers alone, assuming incorrectly that this was their moment. She knew, technically it wasn't, but in her heart it was. He had stayed, protecting her, calming her.

"She's really beautiful." he told her, over her shoulder.

"Yeah, she is." she agreed, kissing the baby on her forehead.

"You did good." he smiled. Nine.

"I don't think I could've done that without you." she confessed honestly.

"Sure you would've. You're stronger than you think." he told her and how she believed him, she had no idea. This one person, a complete stranger, had more faith and compassion for her, than anyone she had ever met.

"I never thought I would have so much love for someone I just met." she said quietly.

"Me either." he whispered in her hair.

_On the backseat of a greyhound bus _

_Heart so full that it could bust _

_Staring at the rest of her life _

_She never thought this would be the place _

_Where she would find her saving grace _

_But she fell in love, she fell in love _

_On the backseat of a greyhound bus_

When she asked if he would go with her to the hospital, he didn't hesitate for a second before smiling for the tenth time, and nodding his head. She offered him her daughter and he visibly blanched at the prospect of holding such a fragile treasure. She smiled at him, nodding that it was indeed, safe, and he gingerly took her into his rough hands. He traced his finger down her tummy and to her hands and laughed, with tears in his eyes, as the baby latched onto his finger. It was one of those moments you take a mental picture of, praying that you never forget it.

_Sweet baby girl _

_She found a brand new world_

"Thank you." she told him softly as she settled into the bed.

"It was most definitely my pleasure."

She fell asleep, watching him cooing over the baby, so small in comparison to the massive hands which held her. She trusted him, completely and fully, something she had never done before in her life. He had stuck by her, held her child, and cried of the beauty of the whole experience. She only hoped that she could insist those same values in the child she just gave birth to.

_On the backseat of a greyhound bus _

_Heart so full that it could bust _

_Staring at the rest of her life s_

_He never thought this would be the place_

_Where she would find her saving grace _

_But she fell in love, she fell in love _

_On the backseat of a greyhound bus_

"To Whom I Admire the Most," she smiled as she could almost imagine him doing the same, winking. "Never once, in all my travels, have I experienced the pleasure of being in the company of two of the most beautiful women I have ever met. For that, I am truly honored. You'll do fine, you'll be a great mom, I'm sure of that. The love you showed that little girl from before she even breathe the air of the world, was incredible. I know you're worried, and I know it scares you but remember this: Nothing is sure of God above. The only thing he promises is love and hope. You hold onto those two things. I'll be thinking of you two lovely ladies and I'll see you around. -Nathan Scott."

She clutched the letter that was resting on her pillow when she woke up, smiling at herself. She didn't think that she had smiled that much in her life. She looked over at her sleeping daughter and knew she could do this. One person had faith in her; she just had to find the faith in herself.

"Miss? Her name?" the nurse asked coming into the room.

"Natalie Faith Scott." she smiled. She took one last glance in the mirror before taking her daughter into her arms and gathered her bag.

_She wore a dress with cherries on it _

_Going somewhere where she'd be wanted _

_Hey yeah oh yeah_


End file.
